Udupi: R Shankar, minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, government of Karnataka visited Adani owned UPCL plant in Yellur village of Udupi taluk. During his visit to Udupi district, minister flagged-off the Social Forestry programme in Belapu gram panchayat and later visited UPCL power plant along with the delegates of Forest and Environment department.

Company’s joint president Kishore Alva welcomed the minister and delegates and shared the information on Adani Group. He also explained the process involved in the electricity generation and operations of various units in presence of departmental heads. Later minister and delegates were taken to all the units of UPCL power plant and shown the process involved.

Witnessing the operations of the various units of the UPCL plant, minister spoke and expressed happiness that Adani has installed state-of-art technologies in its units to control emissions and the plant is generating electricity without any disturbance to the green environment. He welcomed the company’s initiation in planting lacs of saplings in the surrounding villages under Social Forestry programme as a part of CSR activities and told that social forestry is responsibility of every citizen to maintain ecological balance. He advised company to continue the social forestry programme further in a massive way. He expressed happiness that Adani Foundation is executing people and environmental friendly works in the nearby villages and in addition giving importance for the development of basic infrastructure facilities in the villages.

Emphasizing that Industrial sector is the backbone for the development of district, state and nation, minister told that UPCL plant has given employment opportunities to the locals and promoted the entrepreneurship in the district. Adani Group, under the leadership of its founder chairman Gautam Adani, is into the diversified sectors required for the development of nation and congratulated Adani Group on behalf of the government.
 
Minister also told that UPCL expansion will not only create more employment opportunities but also develops Industrial sector. The increase in the demand for electricity in the state can be met with UPCL expansion, he added. The minister expressed support for the project expansion and also for the signing of power purchase agreement for expansion project. The Investors are not coming forward to the State and to overcome this situation, government is ready to extend all the required support for the project proponents, minister added.

Prakash Natalkar, chief conservator of Forest, Mangaluru, Prabhakaran, deputy conservator of Forest, Lohith, assistant conservator of Forest, R S Puranik, Lakshmikant, environment officers from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Clifford Lobo, range forest officer, Nagesh Billava, deputy range forest officer and other officers from Forest and Environment department were part of delegates.

Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, panchayat okkuta and Belapu gram panchayat president, Jitendra Futrado, Palimaru gram panchayat president and Gulam Hejamadi, vice president of Minority Cell of KPCC too visited UPCL plant along with the minister.

Minister planted a sapling in the premises of UPCL plant.